Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Trade trumps multi-cultural tolerance
The NZ government is extremely elastic when it comes to applying its own principles.
We are constantly being exhorted to become a multi-cultural nation, and to exhibit tolerance of other cultures. However, this obviously does not apply when a trade deal is at stake.
Taiwanese minister Lin Yi-fu was to address a New Zealand-Taiwan Business Council seminar in Wellington next week, but seminar organisers today told NZPA it had been postponed after Mr Lin was refused an entry visa to New Zealand.
The government has given no reason for refusing Mr Lin a visa - however, it is pursuing at full-steam a new trade deal with China, and China doesn't like Taiwan. So guess where the pressure came from.
The NZ government is extremely elastic when it comes to applying its own principles.
We are constantly being exhorted to become a multi-cultural nation, and to exhibit tolerance of other cultures. However, this obviously does not apply when a trade deal is at stake.
Taiwanese minister Lin Yi-fu was to address a New Zealand-Taiwan Business Council seminar in Wellington next week, but seminar organisers today told NZPA it had been postponed after Mr Lin was refused an entry visa to New Zealand.
The government has given no reason for refusing Mr Lin a visa - however, it is pursuing at full-steam a new trade deal with China, and China doesn't like Taiwan. So guess where the pressure came from.
